Chicago City Council April 18th, 2018
Resolution Regarding 2020 United States Census
WHEREAS, the Constitution of the United States requires an enumeration of the population every 10 years to apportion congressional representation among the states; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 141 of Title 13 of the United States Code, the next federal decennial census of the population will be taken on the first day of April in 2020; and
WHEREAS, a complete and accurate count of Illinois' population is essential to the State because the census count determines congressional representation, state redistricting, federal grant formula allocation, and the distribution of state grant and subsidy funds for an entire decade until the next decennial census is taken; and
WHEREAS, the United States Census Bureau will endeavor to count every person in the nation, and many states and counties will be initiating programs and initiatives to promote the census; and
WHEREAS, it is vitally important for Illinois and the City of Chicago to do everything they can to ensure that every resident in Illinois and Chicago is counted in the 2020 United States Census; and
WHEREAS, Chicago will work and partner with Illinois in an intergovernmental manner to support, advance and implement the objectives and goals of Illinois Senate Joint Resolution 29, which creates the Illinois Complete Count Commission to develop, recommend, and assist in the administration of a census outreach strategy to encourage full participation in the 2020 federal decennial census of population required by Section 141 of Title 13 of the United States Code;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the President and Members of the Chicago City Council shall develop a comprehensive census outreach strategy in the City of Chicago that shall include, but not be limited to, Chicago agency and department initiatives to encourage participation in the 2020 census, the establishment and support of school-based outreach programs, partnerships with philanthropic organizations, non-profit community-based organizations, and multi-lingual, multi-media campaigns designed to ensure an accurate and complete count of Chicago's population; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the leaders of the outreach strategy report to the Chicago City Council regarding actions taken to plan for and/or implement that comprehensive census outreach strategy with time to make the necessary changes to ensure that Chicago residents are properly and completely counted in the 2020 National Census.
